Job Discussion Forums

[Deep Thirteen]

I would really do as much research on this forum and others as you can about how to tailor your resume to the market. This site helped me tremendously with working on my cover letters/resume with an awareness of what many of the companies are looking for.

Being able to do background research on companies here has also been helpful.

[MrWright]

Follow up question. Perhaps this would be better as a new thread. Once your established in a job, and you get an ALT position, if that is what you want, is there upward mobility, at least salary wise? Will someone make the proverbial 270,000 for ever? I know many teachers on this forum have been in Japan for a long time. Is there long-term job secrutiy, unlike Tawain? What about retirement? Thx.

[Glenski]

Is there long-term job security?
Not always, and in many cases not usually. Contracts for only 3 years total time are common in universities, and I think most uni teachers are PT, living on hopes of renewal after renewal. ALTs, technically should be hired directly after 3 years, but employers often find ways out of that.

Upward mobility as an ALT? What is it like where you are? Perhaps becoming a manager somewhere, but in Japan, the majority of ALTs are hired by dispatch agencies (Japanese) or the JET Programme. Not much room at all in the former, and a wee bit in the latter if you want to become a trainer or manager. Pay doesn't always seem to go up much, either, although I don't have figures for ALTs. Certainly in eikaiwa you can't expect much in most cases.

It's a tenuous market.

[Threnody]

[Glenski]

I don't think a heckuva lot of eikaiwas these days would consider someone with an MA to be overqualified, especially if you played it down. They want people with the right personality and "greenness" in many cases.

ALTs. It actually might be better to have that MA, but I don't know for sure.

[Threnody]